A Friend In Need Chapter 1
by Summer Silverquill
Summary: When Strigoi threaten to abduct Christian, Lissa, Rose, and the gang must work together to keep everyone safe - including themselves
1. Chapter 1

I woke up freezing cold, and drenched in sweat. For a minute, I was disoriented and wasn't sure what was going on. I only knew that I felt an urgency I couldn't explain. That's when I realized they weren't my feelings - LISSA! Without even so much as a second thought, I jumped from my bed and ran for her rooms. It never occurred to me that she might just be having a nightmare. Through the bond, I could feel her running through a whole range of emotions. Fear, surprise, despair, then rage. When I reached her room, I didn't bother to knock - I just slung the door open and turned on the lights.

I found Lissa standing at the window, staring out over the snow-covered courtyard that her room overlooked. "Christian's in trouble, Rose." she said quietly without even looking up. I walked over and put my hand on her thin shoulder reassuringly. "What happened, Lissa?" I asked, noting the tears that slid silently down her face. "I- I had another dream, Rose. It was so real. I know it's one of _those._" Lissa said, still staring out of the window. "Ok, tell me what you saw, Lissa." I said, standing beside her at the window. "We have-had, a date planned for tomorrow night in the chapel attic. Now I don't think it's a good idea." Lissa explained. I could feel her slowly calming down and we talked, but I needed to know exactly what she'd seen in her dream so I could protect her from it.

We went over and sat on the sofa in the living room of her suite so we could chat comfortably. Lissa sat back against the overstuffed cushions and sighed. "In my dream, I'm just watching things happen. Like I'm there, but nobody can see me. Christian is up in the attic, lighting candles, laying out the blankets and so forth. He looks so happy, Rose. He was humming a song I think, and wearing a blue shirt. There's a noise, and he looks up smiling, thinking it's me but it isn't. About a dozen or so people crowd into the room, most of them Strigoi. They surround him, and he manages to set a couple of them on fire before they tranquilize him. Before he goes down, he kills three, but a couple of the people aren't Strigoi - they're guardians and Dhampirs. He falls onto our blankets, and they take him away Rose! One them says that he'll make a tasty meal, and another one says that he's not food, he's leverage. Then I woke up." Lissa was shaking now, and I could see the tears welling up in her eyes. "Would you like for me to go get Christian for you? I can totally make that happen." I offered, just wanting her to feel better. Lissa nodded and curled up in a little ball. "Ok. I'll do it. Pulling out my cell phone, I got up and walked over to the window, dialing Christian's cell phone number. He sounded sleepy when he answered, but not unpleasant. "Rose? What's up? It's like two o'clock. Is Lissa ok?" he asked. So I explained to him the best I could what was going on. "So you need to come here and let her know that you're ok. Maybe stay with her tonight. She's not handling this very well." I replied, knowing that now that we aren't students anymore, it doesn't matter who sleeps where. Christian agreed to get dressed and come right up, so I told Lissa and decided to go to Dimitri with the information.

I was nearly halfway to Dimitri's suite before I realized that I was still in my pajamas. Granted, it was pajama pants and a skimpy tank top, but it was sleep attire nonetheless. Oh well, he'd seen me naked a couple of times, and this was an emergency, so I decided not to waste time getting dressed. Breathless from running the whole way, I knocked on his door. He must have been asleep because it took a minute for him to open the door. When he did, it was a sight. He stood there, his hair pulled back in a low ponytail in nothing but a pair of dark green sleep pants. "Roza. Is everything alright?" he asked, looking confused. "Yes, no, I don't know." I said, suddenly feeling very distracted by his bare chest. "Come in. We can talk in here." Dimitri said, stepping aside to let me into his room. He led me over to the sofa and sat me down. "Would you like anything to drink?" he asked. I shook my head, and he sat beside me. "There is going to be a Strigoi attack." I said bluntly, watching Dimitri's dark, sexy eyes for a reaction. "How do you know this Rose?" he asked, carefully measuring his voice. "Lissa has...dreams that, happen Dimitri. I can't explain it, but it's true." I said, feeling stupid even as I said it. He nodded "Those are called prophetic dreams, Rose. They aren't uncommon amongst the Moroi. What did she see?" Dimitri laid his huge, warm hand on my shoulder and I calmed instantly, except for the massive amounts of naughty energy that was jumping from my skin to his. "There will be a group of 12 people, at least 9 of them are Strigoi. They're going to kidnap Christian Ozera. They want to use him as bait. For what, I have no idea." I said, feeling better now that I wasn't holding that information in anymore. "We have to protect them both, Dimitri. If anything happens to Christian, I don't know what Lissa will do."

Dimitri spoke in that way he has that makes me feel safe "We will do whatever is necessary to make sure he isn't harmed in any way. As for the Princess, well, she is a given." That being said, he pulled me gently into his arms and held me against his chest, smoothing my hair and kissing the top of my head. "I have missed you, Roza." he whispered against my hair. "I've missed you to Dimitri." I replied, snuggling into his arms even closer. He'd been back for about 4 months, and we'd barely seen each other. Lissa had been moved into the palace after the queen's murder, and Dimitri and I, being her guardians, went with her. Christian was here strictly because of Lissa. Moments like these were precious because they were so few and far between. This was the first time we'd been alone like this since he'd been back and I was enjoying every second of it.

"Roza..." he whispered. I looked up into those smoldering eyes and was met with a very sweet kiss. It wasn't the kind of kiss that sparks a make out session, it was the kind that wraps itself around your heart and makes you feel how much the person kissing you really loves you. He held my face between his hands, and when he broke the kiss, he looked into my eyes and said "I really do love you." I smiled brilliantly at him and replied "I really do love you too." with a giggle. "You know we have to let the other guardians know about the Strigoi, Roza." he said in that tone that was all business. I nodded in agreement "Can't it wait just a little longer?" I asked, really not wanting the moment to end. It had been way too long since he had held me this way, and I didn't want to have to go back to the real world, where even holding hands was frowned upon. He smiled-a real smile and brushed a stray lock of hair out of my eyes "Unfortunately, they need to know now so we can start making plans to protect the boy." he said. I really had no choice but to agree, so I reluctantly stepped out of his warm, comfortable embrace. He went into his bathroom and was out in what seemed like just seconds, completely dressed. Dimitri tossed me a St. Vlad's sweatshirt to put over my tank top and we were on our way to the security office.

We sat and talked with the head of palace security, a rather small Guardian who looked a whole lot like a weasel to me. The whole time I was telling him what I knew and how I knew it, he looked nervous, like he wanted to hide under the table. I don't know why people get nervous around me...I really don't. Anyway, after I finished my story, he just looked at me and asked "So you expect me to put the entire castle on alert indefinitely just because the Princess had a bad dream about her boyfriend? Surely you can't be serious, Guardian Hathaway?" Now I was about to lose my temper. I could feel Dimitri's hand on my back, and see the warning in his eyes "Don't do anything rash, Rose" it said, so I relaxed, and explained "The princess, from time to time, has prophetic dreams. It's not an uncommon thing in Moroi who specialize in Spirit. She knows the difference between regular dreams and the ones that will come true. Even if you don't believe me, Christian is a royal, and Lissa is soon to become Queen, so you have to take it at face value, my friend." There, I was nice. Dimitri's hand relaxed, and so did his face.

Nearly an hour later, every guardian in the castle, and their Morois were gathered in the main ballroom for a meeting regarding this new threat. The Security Coordinator stood on a podium at the front of the room and addressed the crowd. "Guardians, we have received a warning that Strigoi are planning to come into our palace and abduct one of our Royals. That being said, we are going to have to step up security quite a bit. EVERYONE must work together to keep our people safe. The mark this time is Christian Ozera. I don't care what you think of the boy or his family, but he is Moroi and a Royal, so he must be protected at all costs. He is also the Dragomir Princess's betrothed, so we must take even more care that he is safe. To drop the ball on this means not only risking the Ozera boy's life, but also that of the princess. Am I clear on this?" he asked. Looking around the room, I saw everyone nodding except for Christian and Lissa. They felt as though they were strong enough in their magic that they could protect themselves. I could feel the first twinges of frustration seeping in through the bond, and I knew that Lissa was about to get angry.

I put a gentle hand on Lissa's shoulder and whispered "They just want to keep you safe, Lissa. Let them do their jobs." I felt the anger begin to subside, and she visibly relaxed into the crook of Christian's arm.

After the Guardian schedule had been made, and maps gone over and all the technical stuff was finished, it was decided that Christian should stay in Lissa's rooms until the threat of his abduction was over. Lissa was overjoyed. I was not. It wasn't that I didn't like Christian, or that I didn't want them to BE together, I just found it harder to keep my mental eye on her when they were, well, together. The meeting finally ended, and Dimitri and I walked Christian and Lissa to their room. We all hugged and said goodnight at the door, then headed back towards my room. Dimitri and I were happy to find that we had the day off (or night, such as it is), so we decided to go back to my room so I could get dressed, then maybe go catch a movie.

I invited him in, swearing to behave. He laughed. "Roza, I do not think you know HOW to behave." He was right. I don't. The second the door shut I shoved him against it and stood on my tiptoes for a kiss. THIS was one of those kisses that incites a mad make-out session. His hands were everywhere, my hands were everywhere. Clothes were removed, and it was getting really steamy when his cell phone rang. "Damn!" he swore, looking at the caller ID. It was Guardian Lemke, one of the higher ups in the security office. "Belikov." Dimitri said when he flipped open his phone. "Yes sir. I was about to step out for the evening." I could see the wheels turning in his head as he listened to the caller talk. I wondered what was going on, but I was quiet. Finally, Dimitri said "Yes sir. Six a.m. I will let her know. Thank you." and he closed the phone.

"What was that all about?" I asked, sitting on the edge of my bed. "Our shift starts at six. We are on night duty." Dimitri replied. "But for now, we are on our own time." He sat beside me on the bed and draped one of his long arms around my shoulders. I looked up at him and asked "Well, now what?" He didn't answer, but before I knew it, he had lowered his lips to mine and we were kissing again. God, I wanted him so badly that it hurt, but I knew that we would not be making love anytime soon. At least not until we knew that Lissa and Christian were safe. Then, it was on. I broke the kiss and said "Give me ten minutes to get dressed and we can catch the seven o'clock movie. He just grinned. When I tried to stand up, my legs felt like jelly, but somehow I made it to my bathroom. I brushed my hair, dabbed on some lip gloss (Dimitri's favorite) and threw on a super tight pair of black jeans, a pretty maroon satin blouse, and a pair of black heels. In less than ten minutes, I stepped out of the bathroom ready to go. I could feel Dimitri's eyes sliding over my body, and see the hungry look in his sexy dark eyes. He wanted me too, and I probably shouldn't have teased him, but I loved the way he looked at me. "Ready to go, Comrade?" I asked, standing near the door. "Give me a moment." he said, and I knew that it would have been uncomfortable for him to stand up at that moment, so I waited.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Since we had an early day, Dimitri suggested that we skip the movie and have dinner instead. I agreed. We found a quiet little pizza place on the outskirts of town and took a dimly lit corner table in the back of the dining room. Dimitri loves pizza - and anything else that is main stream American, so he was in Heaven! We shared a medium pepperoni and cheese and talked for awhile. "I'm sorry about earlier." I said apologetically. "I know I promised to behave, but having you alone in my room was just too tempting." Dimitri smiled at me with those smoky, seductive eyes and said "It isn't easy for me to control myself sometimes either, Roza. Let's try to get past this Strigoi threat before we go diving into bed." God, just the thought of diving into bed with Dimitri gave me the shivers in crazy places. I was still having trouble believing that he had ever been Strigoi and even more trouble believing that he was restored to his human state and he was mine! "You are such a tease." I giggled, sipping on my soda. He was so relaxed, and it was nice to see. Usually, he was cranked way up, and always watchful. Tonight was different. Tonight was about us having a real date, and I was enjoying every second of it.

We talked about Westerns, and literature, and television, and even about his family back in Siberia. We drank too much soda, ate too much pizza and laughed a lot. At one point, I looked right into his eyes and smiled "I wish we could do this all the time." I said honestly. He smiled back at me, and it was an honest, open, happy smile "Me too Roza." he said. All too soon though, the pizza was gone, and it was time to go back. Dimitri paid for dinner, and we walked out to the car. He reached to open the door for me, but I stepped in front of him, blocking him. Those dark eyes looked at me questioningly, and I kissed him. Not for any reason other than because I wanted to. I wanted him to feel how much I loved being with him. His hands cupped my face, and mine slid up around his neck and I clung to him, relishing the warmth of his body pressed against mine. I could feel myself slipping into the abyss of happy pheromones, into that hazy place that I go when he's kissing me - and then it was over. The kiss and the spell were broken as he stepped back just enough to look at me, although his hands never left my face. He was smiling down at me "I love you Roza." he said softly. My heart did a little flip-flop in my chest and I whispered back "I love you too." Then we were back in the car, driving back to the palace. On the drive there, we held hands and talked more about the dream Lissa'd had. We decided that it would be best if we all stayed together, Dimitri, Christian, Lissa, and me, in one room. That way, we could have them both in our sights at all times.

When we arrived back at the palace, it was buzzing with activity. There were guardians everywhere, and more royals than when we left. Apparently, there was a party of some sort going on. Where these people crazy? We knew there was going to be a Strigoi attack, where royals could be killed or worse, and they were having a party? Dimitri strode over to one of the other guardians, and I watched as he spoke to him. He looked so serious, so professional with his dark clothes and his shiny hair pulled back at his neck. Even though it was a serious moment, I wanted to be at his side, holding his hand, reveling in his strength and basking in the commanding air that radiated from him in moments like that.

A gentle hand on my shoulder shook me from the fantasy that I was in. It was Lissa. "Did you have fun?" she asked brightly. Lissa had a brilliant smile all the time, but when she'd been with Christian, it was always brighter. "It was great. We had pizza and soda, and good conversation." dropping my voice so we wouldn't be overheard, I added "We kissed in the parking lot, then he held my hand all the way home." Lissa grinned at me "Oh my God Rose, you're blushing! That's so sweet." she said playfully. "There's a big ball tonight. To celebrate me taking over as queen soon. I want you to come as my friend, not just my guardian." she said as we walked along. "I don't know if they will let me put on a dress and dance the night away, Lissa. I'm sure they will expect me to do my job." I replied, wishing sometimes that I DIDN'T have to just do my job. "I think as the future queen, I can do something about that." she said. There was a lilt of mischief in her voice, and I knew what she was planning. But, few people in this world are more stubborn than Lissa Dragomir, so I played along.

Lissa led me to a little shop just off the lobby. It was filled with dresses in every color and style you could imagine. The fabrics ranged from the simplest cotton to the most expensive silk and there wasn't a single dress in the place that wasn't absolutely amazing. "Pick one for tonight." she said, looking around at the seemingly endless yards of fabric that hung all around us. "You can't be serious? These dresses are way too expensive!" I exclaimed, looking at the price tag of the dress closest to me. "That doesn't matter anymore Rose, I'm queen now. These dresses are nothing." she replied. Suddenly, one caught her eye and she pulled it off the rack. "Here, try this one on. I think it suits you." she said as she put the hanger in my hand. "And DON'T look at the price tag!" she added, giggling. "Well, if you insist." I said indignantly, but just for fun.

The fitting room was as luxurious as one would imagine a palace fitting room should be. Quickly, I undressed and slid the emerald green satin dress over my head. It was tea length, and had a crinoline underskirt that made it poof out, an empire waist, and a low cut bodice. The over skirt was green, with a black lace overlay, that made it look darker than it was. The sleeves were off the shoulder, and I thought it would look great with a pair of long evening gloves, but that was just me. I held my hair up, and spun around in front of the mirror - beautiful! For that moment, I felt like I was the princess. "Let me see!" Lissa called from outside the dressing room, so I stepped out and let her see. "What do you think?" I asked, turning slowly in a circle. "I think it's perfect!" Lissa said, clapping her hands. "Take it off so I can pay for it."

Dimitri found me standing around waiting for Lissa to pay for all the stuff she was buying and walked over to say hello. "Hi there." he said casually, propping himself up in the doorway. I beamed up at him "Hi yourself." I replied. "That was some talk you had with that other guardian. What's up?" I asked. "I was discussing this ball that they are having tonight. None of the guardians agree that it's a good idea, but the Moroi are insistent that life should go on as normal regardless of the threat." I nodded. "I don't think it's the best plan they've ever come up with either, but we work for them technically, so what can we say?" He shook his head "I suppose you're right, but we don't have to like it." he said. Then, sudden change of topic. "Are you going tonight?" he asked, watching Lissa discuss her choices with the sales clerk. "I was thinking about it. Lissa bought me a ridiculously expensive dress, so I sort of have to." I replied. "Are you?" He smiled thoughtfully "Perhaps. It depends on if I can find a date." Oh, comedy. Great. "I might be available if a certain Russian guardian wants to pick me up at my door at 7:00." I said grinning. He thought for a moment "I suppose we will see." he said, turning and walking away.

Lissa walked out of the shop with four bags in tow. I took the two that she offered me and we headed towards the elevator that would take us to her suite. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a key. Quickly, she put in into a key slot above the numbered floor buttons and turned it, pressed 4, and took the key out. In seconds, we were on the 4th floor and digging through the shopping bags in Lissa's living room. "Oh my GOD, Lissa! Those shoes and that necklace are amazing!" I cried as she held up a pair of silver heels and a delicate silver chain with a little star made of diamonds on it. "I bought them to match your dress Rose. Green and silver are always a good choice. Besides, you want to look your best for Dimitri tonight, right?" Lissa asked, as she laid the shoes and the necklace back into their boxes and stuffed them back into their bag. "Let me see which one you bought." I replied, wondering what her dress would look like. "I didn't buy one. There are people here who pick my clothes out for me now. I hate it. Remember when we used to go shopping at the thrift stores just because it was fun?" she asked. The tone of her voice and all the feelings coming through the bond said that she missed the days when it was just the two of us, living in the human world. They were carefree days for sure, but had I known then what I know now, I would never have done it. "Yep. Those were the crazy old days." I said, giggling. I could feel her mood lightening, so I asked "So, come on! What's in the other two bags?"

Lissa shook her head "You're so impatient Rose! I swear you're worse than a child sometimes." she said laughing. She unceremoniously dumped out the first bag on the floor. There was only a single box inside. She handed it to me and said "This is to wear under your dress." I opened the box to find a very intricately embroidered corset with matching panties and thigh high stockings. "Oh Lissa! This is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen! Do you think Dimitri will like it?" I asked, forgetting for a moment that if I spoke too loud, we could get in trouble. "I think he will love it. With your skin tone, the red will look amazing. Now for my box!" she said, pulling it free of the final bag. Inside, there was a gossamer silk night gown. It was short, and had spaghetti straps, and was a shade of blue that nearly matched Lissa's eyes exactly. The little panties were the same color, and the whole outfit was trimmed in delicate white lace. "Christian is going to flip." I said laughing. Tonight, they would be together, and we would protect them. The Strigoi for some reason thought that they could actually get inside the palace. Even if they did, they'd never survive. They had no idea who they were up against and I hoped that if they did manage to get inside, they came to me first, because I was still carrying a grudge for what they did to Dimitri.

I took my bags to my room and began the process of getting ready. Since I was off, it didn't matter if I went to the party or not. There would be other guardians assigned to Lissa and Christian for tonight. Hopefully, Dimitri would come and could at least have a couple of dances before we had to go back to our suites and nap. After a very relaxing shower, I dried my hair and pinned it up on the back of my head, leaving tendrils trailing in the front, which I curled. I did my makeup light, but my eyes smoky. Finally, I tugged on all my layers of clothes and a pair of sexy high heels and I was ready to go to the party! I glanced at the clock beside my bed - I had 10 minutes to get halfway across the palace. I could do it no problem, even in a dress and heels! Dashing for the door, I yanked it open and ran smack into Dimitri.

Oh but he looked handsome in his suit, all dressed up for the party. His hair was loose and combed to perfection, and he had an air of confidence around him that was nothing but sexy. "You look amazing, Roza." he said, smiling as he handed me a small bouquet of flowers. I couldn't help but blush, I mean, really! "So do you, Dimitri." I said, taking his arm when he offered it. We walked this way, arm in arm to the ball room, and when we arrived at the big double doors, the guardians did a double take. "Guardian Belikov, Guardian Hathaway - wow." Andrew said. The look on his face was priceless. We must have looked great together for the reaction we got, so Dimitri smiled and said "Good evening, Andrew. Mind if we go in?" Andrew immediately snapped to and tugged open the enormous wooden door. "Enjoy your evening, sir." he said. I cannot describe to you how I felt when the door opened and I saw the scene inside. There were beautiful people everywhere - dancing, talking, laughing, eating. A live orchestra was set up in a back corner of the room, projecting beautiful music throughout the entire ball room. I looked at Dimitri and asked "Are you sure we fit in here, Comrade?" He laughed and nodded his head "Have you stood in front of a mirror tonight Roza? You look like you belong amongst royalty." With that we walked into the room, the doors shut behind us, and noticed that everyone was staring.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Glancing around the room I discovered that I wasn't crazy - everyone was looking at us. I looked up at Dimitri and he was smiling at me. Taking a deep breath, I led him over to a long, elegantly decorated table filled with different finger foods, tiny, ornate desserts, and a big bowl of punch. I waited while Dimitri got the drinks, and saw Lissa and Christian walking over to say hello. As soon as Lissa saw me, she smiled. Through the bond, I could feel her joy and it's underlying anxiety. We hugged and I told her "You look absolutely unreal!" because she did. That girl looked just like a fairy tale princess in a dress made from shimmering fabrics in the lightest blue color. It floated around her like an ethereal cloud. Her blonde hair was pulled up high on her head and curls cascaded down around her face. Absolutely angelic! "You look so beautiful Rose. I'm glad you picked that dress." she said. "And look at Dimitri! He is too gorgeous, Rose." she continued.

Christian and Dimitri had struck up a conversation at the punch bowl and they were both smiling and laughing. Soon though, they walked over to join us and we all walked towards the tables that were scattered around the dance floor. Lissa asked if we would join them at their table, so we did. I had never seen so many Moroi and Dhampirs all gathered together, having fun in all my life. Maybe life outside of St. Vlad's was different? I sure hoped so. A beautiful song started, and Dimitri asked me to dance. Dance? Crap! I didn't know the first thing about dancing, but I wasn't going to waste an opportunity to be in his arms for whatever reason! So I took his hand and he led me out onto the floor.

His right hand rested lightly on the small of my back, and his left hand was holding my right hand. He leaned in and whispered "Don't look so nervous, Roza. Just follow my lead. It's easy." he smiled. It was tricky at first, but I got the hang of it pretty quick. It wasn't long before we were twirling around the floor with the other couples. "What is this dance?" I asked, glancing around at some of the older couples who looked as if they'd been dancing their entire lives. "It's a waltz, Roza." Dimitri said simply. I didn't know many of the people around me, but I noticed that Adrian was there, and he was dancing with Tasha Ozera. They actually made a very cute couple. I made a mental note to tell him so after the party. Dimitri and I danced nearly every dance together. The only time we weren't was if he was dancing with Lissa and I was dancing with Christian - until the last set.

We were standing around, talking to some of the other guardians when Adrian and Tasha walked up. "Could I steal Rose from you for one dance, Guardian Belikov?" he asked politely. Dimitri looked at me as if wanting my permission. I smiled and he said "Of course. Just make sure you bring her back." So Adrian took my hand and we walked back towards the dance floor. "So, little Dhampir, are you enjoying the party?" Adrian asked as the music started. "Actually, yeah. It's been a lot of fun so far. I see you're here with Tasha. She's really beautiful." I replied, glancing around the room. "Yeah, but she's not you." Adrian said. Most of his usual bravado was still there, along with the smell of cigarette smoke and the ever present alcohol scent. Underneath, though, there was a sense of longing. "You two make a very striking couple, Adrian. And, she's royal, and therefore good for you. Don't you think?" I asked, hoping that he would just move on and forget about me. "You're right. My parents think we're a good match. I'm just not sure." he said, spinning me around then pulling me back into his arms. "You and Dimitri look great together. You look really happy. I'm glad." he continued. "Dimitri is good for me, Adrian. He keeps me sane." I replied.

I was going to say something else when I happened to see Dimitri and Tasha dancing together. She was so elegant, and just looking at her made me feel clumsy. I knew there was nothing between them, but I still felt that jolt of jealousy creeping in, making my stomach knot and turn. Suddenly, I just wanted this dance to be over so she could go back to Adrian. "They look good together too." Adrian said. "Like we do." Then I knew what he was doing. Instigating a fight. Well, damn, I wasn't going to go there. "They really do. Fortunately for me, there's nothing there but friendship, so we are good." I said matter-of-factly. The truth was, I wasn't sure. But I sure as hell wasn't telling Adrian that. When the song was over, Tasha said to me "Thank you for letting me borrow Dimitri. I was just telling him how gorgeous you look tonight, and what a handsome couple you two make. I wish you guys the best." She hugged me, and went happily back to Adrian's arm. I smiled at Dimitri "I was almost worried there for a second - you two looked really good together." I said. Dimitri put his arm around me protectively "That was nothing more than Adrian trying to rock the boat." Dimitri said, grinning. "The only girl I want is already on my arm."

All too soon, the party was ending and it was time to go get some rest. While the Moroi slept, we would be on guard. Waiting for some poor Strigoi to try to come in and steal our Royals. Not on our shift. The palace housed some of the most talented and fearsome guardians in the world. There would be no mistakes. Christian and Lissa's lives were at stake. As Dimitri and I walked back towards the Guardian's quarters, we chatted about the party, and all the people we'd seen, and the dresses, then we stopped in the common area and sat down on one of the leather sofas. "Roza, I need to tell you something." He was holding both my hands in his, and the look on his face was so happy. "What Dimitri?" I asked, looking into his eyes. "I - " but whatever he was going to say would have to wait, because at that precise moment, six Strigoi came running into the common area.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Dimitri immediately sprung into action, knocking over the polished wood coffee table in front of the sofa where we were sitting. He yelled to me "Roza, RUN!" but there was no way I was going to do that again! So I hiked up my skirt and retrieved the silver stake I had stashed away in my garters and jumped on the first Strigoi I could find. It was a rather short, dumpy woman with short, messy red hair. I figured since she was large, she'd be slow - boy was I wrong. She dodged me and my stake with a catlike grace that caught me by surprise. I came around with a lovely roundhouse kick to her face, breaking her nose. That stunned her just long enough for me to drive my stake home. I jerked it out of her chest and went on to the next one. That's when I realized that Dimitri had already taken out two, and two had run - but to where? CRAP! Lissa and Christian had "plans" for tonight. Surely, they would just go to her room. I didn't even have time to open the bond and feel around!

One of the two remaining Strigoi decided to be stupid and engage me. I responded by taking two quick steps to the left. He came back around, trying to grab my hair - jackass- so I drove my stake home as he plowed into me. I shouted to Dimitri "Lissa!" and he made quick work of the last Strigoi. We ran for the elevators and that's when we realized we didn't have the key to the royals floor. DAMNIT! I opened the bond and felt for Lissa. She and Christian were in the middle of a pretty intense make out session. Well, at least they were safe. I couldn't tell where her temporary guardians were, but I was almost sure they'd be standing - "Let's take the stairs!" I said to Dimitri as the elevator stopped on the third floor. We dashed up the stairs and, as predicted, the door was locked. That was a good sign. Together, we kicked it open and walked calmly down to Lissa's rooms. Her guardians were indeed right outside the door, but something wasn't right. They had assigned Thomas Jacoby and Emily Fairburn to Lissa and Christian for the evening, and one look in their eyes told me that someone had done a bit of compulsion. Whether or not it was Lissa wanting privacy I didn't know, but I wasn't taking any chances. Hesitantly, I knocked on the door. "Lissa, it's Rose. Lemmie in!" I shouted. "It's open, Rose. Really, do you have to yell?" Lissa answered from inside the room. I opened the door and Dimitri and I went in fast, closing and locking it behind us.

Seeing the looks on our faces, Lissa asked "Well, what's the matter. You two look like you've been in a - oh God, Rose! Is it?" I nodded. "We just took down four in the guardian commons, Princess. Things are not looking very good." Dimitri said. All the fun from earlier was gone and he was all business. To me, he said, "You should change, Roza. I would hate to see you ruin that dress. And it isn't the best outfit for fighting." Normally, I would have laughed, but now I just said "You're right. Lissa, can I borrow something to wear?" She nodded, and I took sweat pants, a tee shirt, and some socks and sneakers from her closet and went into the bathroom to change.

It took less than minutes then I was ready for another fight.

Dimitri and I pulled the guardians in from the hallway and made Lissa break the compulsion spell she'd put on them. When they snapped out of it, they were more than a little bit upset. Dimitri explained to them much more effectively than I could have, what was going on, and they immediately got on their cell phones and started calling other guardians. All of the stories were the same - the Strigoi inside the palace were not even attempting to kill, only restrain or distract. We had seen six, killed four. That left two. Then Emily's calls up the body count to six, but there were at least four more seen in other areas of the palace around the same time we were fighting ours. So, there were at least ten. Great. Six down, four to go. But where the hell were they? There's no way for them to get up here. Even with the door busted on the stairwell, they would never get through the wards, unless they had a human or a Dhampir helping them. That thought reminded me to ask where on the palace grounds the wards had been broken.

To Dimitri I said "We need to find the remaining four and kill them." He nodded "Yes, but our first priority is the princess and Christian." Damn I hated it when he was right. "So what? We just sit here and wait for them to come?" I asked sarcastically, beginning to get frustrated. Fear and a little anger were drifting through the bond, and I could tell that Christian was feeling much the same. He was a fire user, which could be extremely effective in this situation. We'd seen him fight the Strigoi with his magic before and win. So when he asked "Can I help?" Dimitri and I both said "Yes". Lissa begged him not to go, and I told her that we were all staying put. Emily and Thomas made additional calls and after an hour or so, Dimitri got a call saying that all Strigoi had been neutralized and for the moment the threat was over. I got called into the Security Advisor's office, so stake in hand, I made my way to the 5th floor to see what the fuss was.

When I arrived at the door, I knocked lightly. A woman's voice said "Come in Miss Hathaway." so I did. She was a tall woman, for being Dhampir. Standing perhaps 5'8" or so, she had shocking green eyes (much like Adrian's) and a slim figure topped with a pretty face and jet black hair. She had her hair piled up on top of her head in a bun, giving her a rather severe look. "Have a seat Rose." she said pleasantly. "Thank you." I replied, taking a seat in the nearest chair. I stole a glance at her desk. The plaque said Marissa Gliddon. Cool that their Security Advisor was a woman, not to mention a Dhampir. "It has been brought to my attention that you and Guardian Belikov attended the ball tonight in guest status." she said, looking over some notes in her hand. "Yes m'am, that's true." I replied. No reason to lie, everyone there saw us. "Were you invited as guests rather than as guardians?" she asked, looking over the top of her glasses at me. I nodded "Yes Ms. Gliddon. Speaking only for myself, since Guardian Belikov and I were both given the night off, I didn't see any harm in dressing up and going." I said. She nodded and said "You looked beautiful. Apparently you're a fatal beauty, because I heard that you took down two Strigoi by yourself in an evening gown and heels." she said. Her voice sounded highly amused, and she dropped the papers she had been holding onto her desk and smiled at me. "I must say I'm impressed with you Miss Hathaway. Had the princess not personally requested you, I'm not sure I would have hired you. Your record from St. Vladimir's isn't exactly shiny, but your bond with the princess gave me no choice. Now, however, I'm glad I did." she said, sitting on the edge of her desk.

"I told you she was the only choice, Marissa." a familiar voice said from the doorway. I didn't have to turn and look to know that it was my mother. "You were right Janine. Rose is...talented, though unconventional." Marissa said. "Well, what did you expect? She is MY daughter." Janine said laughing. Marissa laughed with her then got serious again. "What were you doing when the Strigoi attacked?" she asked, picking up her papers and pen once again. "I was sitting in the Guardian's commons area, talking with Guardian Belikov, why?" I asked, curious as to why she would ask that question. "Rose, were the two of you doing anything besides just talking?" she continued, looking at me over the top of her glasses again. Why in the world would she ask me a question like that? Really! "No Ms. Gliddon. We were sitting on the sofa, having a simple conversation. That's all." I replied. I kept my voice cool and calm, because my mother was there, and I didn't want to make her look bad by losing my cool. "Alright. Given the uh, relationship between you and Dimitri, I had to ask." she said. "Oh for Pete's sake, Marissa! She's young, but she's focused. Dimitri is the best of the best. Neither of them is about let a relationship effect their job. You should know that by now." Janine said impatiently. "I'm sorry Janine, but when two guardians have a relationship, we have to ask the important questions. I was not implying that she was doing anything wrong." Marissa said. Then turning to me she said cheerfully "You can go now, Miss Hathaway. Jeanine, let's sit and have tea."

The walk back to my room seemed to take forever. My mind was reeling from all the accusations. And that's what they were, regardless of what Ms. Marissa Gliddon said. It was now well after midnight, and I was exhausted. When I saw Dimitri standing outside of my room though, I completely forgot that I was tired at all. I smiled at him just hanging out, looking kind of like a lost puppy. When he saw me walking up, he smiled too, and that is a beautiful thing. He caught me up in his arms and gave me a long, sweet kiss. "How did things go with Marissa?" he asked, his arms still around me. "It was fine. She just wanted to know what we were doing when the attack happened." I replied. "Janine took up for us. It ended ok." Dimitri smiled and nodded. "Do you want to come in?" I asked, opening my door. "Just for a minute." he said, stepping inside and closing the door behind himself.

When he sat down on the chair in my living room, I realized that I was still wearing Lissa's clothes and sneakers, so I said "I'm gonna go change into my p.j.'s" as I headed for the bathroom. As I pulled off the tee shirt, I realized that I was still wearing the corset and everything, so I put my heels back on and brushed out my hair and stalked out of the bathroom. Ok, so maybe stalked isn't quite the right word. I walked out slowly and quite self-consciously. Dimitri looked up when he heard the bathroom door, and I swear to you that he nearly fell out of his chair. He stood up a little too fast and tripped over the coffee table. "You look..." he started to say, but I cut him off with a kiss. We kissed all the way to the bed, and he laid me back on it, stopping to take a long look at my body in all that fancy lingerie. "Perfect..." he murmured against my neck as he kissed his way down to my shoulder. I smiled, and wrapped my fingers in his hair.

When the alarm went off at 5:00, neither of us wanted to get out of bed. We lay there, all snuggled up together in a tangle of sheets and bare skin quietly, then Dimitri sat up. "Time to go to work." he said as he climbed out of bed and put on his pants. "Aw, do we have to?" I asked, rolling over on my stomach to look at him. The man was breathtaking. From his handsome face and dark, silky hair, to his long, lean, muscular legs, he was art in motion, and he was all mine. " I should go to my room and get dressed." he said, walking back over to sit on the side of my bed. He leaned in and kissed me sweetly on the lips. "I will see you at breakfast." he said, and then he left. After another five minutes of laying around, I finally crawled out of bed and showered quickly. I pulled on my uniform and met Dimitri in the hallway so we could meet Lissa and Christian as they got off the elevator on the first floor.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Dimitri and I met Lissa and Christian and went down to one of the little bistros on the ground floor for breakfast. While we ordered coffee and food, Lissa and Christian went to the little back room marked "Moroi Only" to see their feeders. They got back to the table about the time our food was coming out. While I always ate conservatively, Dimitri was a beast! He ordered a huge breakfast of bacon, eggs, toast, and oatmeal. I felt anorexic, having ordered only a modest breakfast of French toast and two eggs.

As we ate, Lissa struck up a conversation. "So, I heard that they are going to do the ceremony tomorrow for you and the other guardians to get your new marks. That's great!" she said cheerfully, looking back and forth between Dimitri and me.

"Oh, they haven't told us anything yet." Dimitri remarked, in between bites of his food.

"I saw your - um, well, Janine last night at the party. She was dancing with Adrian's father." Christian said.

I nearly choked on my toast. "Nathan? Really? Are you insane, Christian?" I asked, washing down the offending piece of toast with some coffee. My mother was not one to mix business with pleasure, and when she was at the palace, it was all business. Although, since I had been too busy enjoying my night off with Dimitri, I really hadn't noticed.

"Hey," Christian said defensively, holding his hands out in front of him "I'm just telling you what I saw. They looked like they were having a fairly important conversation." He dropped his hands back in his lap and looked at Lissa, shaking his head. She merely smiled, patting his hand.

"You know Roza, your mother does occasionally let her hair down, and Nathan is an excellent dancer. Why shouldn't she enjoy herself once in awhile?" Dimitri asked.

"It isn't that Dimitri, I just can't see her hanging out with the Ivashkovs is all. She told me once that she didn't care much for Nathan. All I can think is that they were talking business." I replied, trying to envision Janine with Nathan. It didn't sit well in my mind.

After breakfast, we all headed up to the ball room where there was going to be yet another meeting for the guardians on palace security. Lissa was going to be queen, and that meant that she would have a palace full of guardians to back me up, and no doubt, as soon as she finished college, she and Christian would marry, meaning that Dimitri and I would not have to be separated. That was a lovely thought. I looked over at him, sitting up straight in his chair beside me, and thought that he was the sexiest guy in the universe, making me the luckiest girl. I guess he caught me staring at him because he smiled and asked "What?" in a very sweet voice. I blushed and mumbled "Nothing".

The meeting started out like every other meeting, with the various heads of various departments stressing the importance of us making sure that we were within grabbing distance of our Moroi at all times, and blah, blah, blah. I guess they figured that if they just pounded it into our heads, no one would ever get hurt and they could all go one living in their little utopian dream. Wrong. The Strigoi were going to keep coming until they got what they wanted. We were all very lucky that they were instructed not to kill anyone, just to find Christian, grab him, and get out. Next time, they wouldn't be so gentle.

I was just dozing off when Christian's aunt Tasha Ozera took the podium. "Good afternoon, Guardians, fellow Moroi. I just wanted to thank a couple of people for keeping my nephew safe from the Strigoi attack last night. Guardian Rose Hathaway and Guardian Dimitri Belikov. Thank you for protecting Christian." she said, and it was heartfelt. Dimitri and I nodded, and smiled at Tasha. She was making us look really good. That never hurts when you're fighting to get your reputation back. Tasha returned to her seat, and Nathan Ivashkov took the microphone. He was an impressive man. Intelligent, witty, funny sometimes, and still very handsome, he cut quite an intimidating figure to be sure. When he began to speak, the entire room went silent.

"I have heard a rumor that Guardians Belikov, and the younger Hathaway took down at least three Strigoi each last night. What scares me, is that they may not always be lurking in the hallways when the Strigoi come. On that note, I was told that our security agents have a Strigoi in custody for questioning. We need to know why they want the Ozera boy so badly that they are willing to risk almost certain death to get him. I guess what I'm asking is for Guardian Belikov and Guardian Hathaway, Rose I mean, to help in the questioning. Not that I'd want to see anyone's son, nephew, whatever packed off by the Strigoi, but I want to ensure Adrian's safety and well being."

Dimitri must have seen the look on my face, because he put a gentle hand on my arm. "Don't worry Roza, we can do this together. Just like we always have." he said quietly. Although his voice was calm and soothing, I could see the turmoil in his eyes. It was always there when he had to have anything to do with Strigoi that didn't involve a stake and death. I knew that he still wasn't completely over the time he had spent as one of them, but he was slowly getting there.

I smiled and replied "I know Comrade, we'll get through this so we can keep them safe. They come first."

The meeting ended rather quickly after that, and Dimitri and I headed towards the prison wing of the palace to see this Strigoi that was in custody. When we arrived at the desk Andrew was there doing some paperwork. Apparently, word had already come down from the meeting that we were to interrogate this Strigoi, and he let us through, radioing down the hall to the other guardians to let them know that we were coming. There were no less than 5 guardians standing outside the door to the solitary confinement ward, and neither of us knew any of them, but they knew who we were the minute they saw us.

"Guardian Belikov, Guardian Hathaway! It's good to finally meet you. I'm Glen Shipman, the head guardian on duty today. If you'll just follow me, I'll explain everything to you before taking you to the prisoner." he said cheerfully. Dimitri and I had both spent time in a cell on this ward, and it was kind of bittersweet coming back to it. Although I have to admit, it was going to be nice being on the opposite side of those bars.

"Thank you Glen. What can you tell us about this prisoner?" Dimitri asked. Deep down, he was hoping it was someone he knew. That would make it easier for him to get angry the way we both knew he was going to have to if we wanted to get anything out of this Strigoi. We walked along the hallway, and Glen stopped at cell 3. It had been my cell, and also Dimitri's.

"Well," Glen said, thinking over the facts "this particular Strigoi seems to be quite stubborn. It refuses to talk to anyone but you or Ms. Hathaway. I believe one or both of you might know the prisoner. They have been in our custody since the night of the attack, and have refused to answer any of our questions up to now, so good luck. He was just about to unlock the cell door when Dimitri's hand on his arm stopped him.

"Wait, Guardian Shipman. Who is the prisoner?" Dimitri asked, holding his breath as he waited for Glen to answer.

"Glen gave us a sad little smile and said "Sonya Karp" as he went on to unlock the cell door.

My jaw hit the floor. Miss Karp! For real? No, this was not happening. It couldn't be. I looked at Dimitri and he wore the same shocked expression I did. This was just unbelievable. I took a deep breath and used Dimitri's arm to steady myself before we walked into the room.

They had Sonya sitting in a straight-backed chair with arms, bound in place with silver chains. There must've been some sort of charm on the chains, because she wore a serene look on her face, despite the shocking Strigoi eyes and paper white skin. When we walked in, she looked up. "Rose, Dimitri, welcome to my party." she growled. I have to say, it was eerie, and a lot disconcerting seeing Miss Karp that way. My heart was beating in my chest like a caged bird, and I had no idea what to say, providing I could actually form words.

"Sonya, you wanted to talk to us?" Dimitri asked, keeping a safe distance from her. She looked Dimitri over, and a confused look spread across her face. For a moment it seemed as if she were trying to remember something, but the look was gone as quickly as it had come.

"Yes, but you're different, Belikov. You were one of us now, but you went back to the weak ones I see. You always were a pacifist." she said softly, her words dripping with venom. "We don't want anyone to get hurt. Just give us the Ozera boy. He's ours anyway. His parents were ours, so he belongs to us by default." Sonya continued.

I stepped up, feeling the anger inside me building "Are you insane? We would sooner turn him over to a pack of wolves than to Strigoi!" I cried, wanting to hit her so bad I could taste it. Dimitri put a soothing hand on my shoulder, and I backed down. "Why do you want Christian?" I asked in a softer tone. "He's of no use to you."

Sonya laughed and said in a condescending tone "How would you know, Dhampir? Perhaps we want to eat him, or perhaps we would benefit from a fire user?" she asked. To Dimitri she said "You gave up eternal life and all that goes with it for HER? She's a child who has no idea what she has in you. Come back to us, Dimka."

Hearing her call him Dimka made Dimitri cringe. That word was not for her use. "This conversation is over unless you have something better to tell us, Sonya." he said. One thing about Dimitri is that even when he's angry, he maintains his control and doesn't let his opponent know that he's angry. "Come Rose, we're wasting our time here." he said, taking my arm to leave.

"Wait!" Sonya cried, "We will keep coming until we get the boy. I know it won't keep me alive, but I will tell you this: someone inside the palace is breaking the wards. It's a Moroi, not Strigoi, and she is closer to the situation than you think. If I tell you anymore, they'll kill me sooner. Come back if you need more clues." she said, then drifted back off into the trance she'd been in when we arrived.


End file.
